It’s holiday time, and maybe you’re planning on buying a sex toy for your sweetheart, your best friend, or your mom. (Hey, I don’t know your life.) But let’s face it: the vast majority of people who purchase sex toys for someone else are bad at doing so. So I’ve put together this little guide for you to read before you leap into your holiday shopping!
Make sure they actually want a sex toy. If you buy a giant veiny dong for someone who’s barely comfortable saying the word “vagina” out loud, sorry – you’re missing the mark. Sex toys, like porn and perfume, are a highly personal purchase, and so you should probably only buy one for someone else if you know for a fact that they want one, because they have told you so. Ideally, you should buy one that they’ve mentioned wanting, if indeed they got specific.
Do your research. You can read the toy’s specs on its manufacturer’s website, but if you want the juicy details, you should seek out some sex toy review blogs. (Hint: you’re on one currently! And there are plenty more in my sidebar.) Thorough reviews will give you a sense of what the toy feels like, what it’s good for, and any potential drawbacks it may have. Pro tip: it’s good manners to buy through a reviewer’s affiliate links if you can, so they get a financial kickback for the assistance they gave you with their writing.
Think outside the box. Just because a toy can be found in the section of the shop marked “men’s toys” or “women’s vibrators” doesn’t mean it’s limited to being used by only that type of person. People with penises can enjoy products made for vulvas and vice versa. Just make sure anything that’s going in a butt has a flared base and you’re basically good.
Fill a hole (so to speak) in their sex life. While dildo collectors and vibrator hoarders definitely do exist, the average person doesn’t need more than one or two of any particular category of toy. Try to figure out which types of toys your gift recipient has already tried and which ones they haven’t. Maybe they love G-spot stimulation but have never experienced vibration on that spot, for example, or maybe they’re curious about anal play but don’t yet own a butt plug. You get the idea!
When in doubt, get a gift card. Seriously: buying sex toys is highly personal and, for many people, quite vulnerable, too. Your giftee may well prefer the freedom to pick out their own, on their own timeline. You can still feel good knowing you’re bankrolling their pleasure.
What’s your strategy when buying sex toys for someone else?
This post was sponsored. As always, all writing and opinions are my own.